Round and Round

"Haut!" I yell as they crash to the cement floor.

Still in human form, he grapples with the shadow monster that Jacob has turned into. Pinned down, he can't shift, and his arms strain to hold sharp claws away from his throat.

I kick my feet against the bars of my cage, making a racket. "Get off him, you weak ass excuse for a werewolf!"

Jacob snarls, his head lifting toward me, and Haut takes advantage of his momentary distraction to heave the monster to the side. The beast rolls across the floor, comes up on all fours, and pounces on Haut again, shoving him into one of the sheet-draped cages.

Bloody scratches appear on Haut's chest, and he lets out a grunt as the wolf shines from his eyes. Claws burst from the tips of Haut's fingers, and his right arm swings, vanishing into the shadows. A heartbeat later, a pain-filled howl bounces off the walls.

"That's my man!" I tear off my shoes as Haut keeps swinging, driving Jacob back. "Kick his shadow ass!"

"Stop aggravating the monster, mate," Haut huffs, ducking under a swipe from Jacob's massive paws. "And work on getting out of that cage."

"Don't you think I'm trying?" I rub my sock against my pant leg. "Just… keep beating that brat up."

With a snarl, Jacob catches Haut's arm and picks him up, throwing him across the room. With a loud clang, he lands on top of one of the covered cages and rolls off the back.

Jacob lets out a chuffing laugh as he stalks after him.

I pick up one of my shoes and throw it at his head. "Get away from him!"

In response, Jacob darts to the side, ramming my cage to send me spinning.

I slide around the bottom, my back slamming up against the bars, and I grab hold to stop myself from being tossed around.

Once we escape this basement, I'm never going anywhere without a lock-picking charm. No more prisons for Rowe.

From my rotating view, I watch as Jacob shoves the cages aside in search of my mate. Then Greyson launches out of the shadows, all sharp teeth, bristling fur, and claws. He tackles Jacob backward, and their ferocious dance continues, each blow landing with a sickening thud that makes my stomach churn.

The spinning slows, leaving me dizzy, and I push down the nausea as I rub my sock against my leg again. I've never done this without a wand, but I didn't always have a pretty stick to perform magic. I need to embrace the wild me of the past and go forth with blind determination.

Willing the tingles of static electricity up to my palms, I press them to the door.

Lightning burns through me, and I slam back into the bars on the opposite side of the cage.

With a groan, I blow on my stinging hands and check on Haut's status. He's holding his own with Jacob, but just barely. It's clear he needs some kind of advantage, something to turn the tide in his favor.

Jacob's monstrous body slams into Haut, sending him crashing into another row of cages. I wince as Haut crumples under the impact, his eyes meeting mine for a heartbeat before they flutter closed.

I slam my hands against the door again, and it rocks on its hinges but stays put. "Touch him and you'll regret it, Jacob!"

Chuffing in amusement, Jacob bends to nose against Haut's still form.

"Is that all you got?" Jacob taunts, his voice like nails on a chalkboard as he looms over Haut's battered body. "Pathetic."

With a snarl, Haut whips around, latching onto Jacob. He howls, the nightmarish sound driving spikes into my ears. Haut shakes his head from side to side as he steps backward, muscles rippling beneath his fur as he drags the shadowy mass toward the stairs.

With renewed determination, I work to rebuild the static electricity.

As Haut gains the upper hand, the shadows roil, and Jacob twists, sinking his teeth into Haut's shoulder.

"No!" I scream, terror coursing through me.

Werewolves transfer their curse through bites. With a snarl, Jacob tosses Haut's body to the floor, and this time, my mate doesn't get back up.

Tingles blaze up from my feet to the top of my head, then down my arms. I need to save Haut.

Closing my eyes, I slam my palms against the cage door, releasing a blast powerful enough to send it flying off its hinges.

I tumble to the floor, landing on my hands and knees, tingles still rushing through me.

"Hey, Jacob!" I shout, my voice echoing through the basement. "Why don't you pick on someone more your size!"

The shadow-like monster turns to me with a snarl. "You think you can stop me when you don't even have a wand?"

Magic pricks my skin and swirls around me. "Didn't I tell you that wands are just props? And you were wrong about my magic relying on the earth or the sky."

"Is that so?" Jacob growls, his monstrous form tensing as he prepares to attack.

"That is so." I stand my ground, open my toaster door, and the world washes to silver. "My power comes from the magic in everything, including you."

Jacob's howl cuts through the air like a knife, making the fine hairs on the back of my neck rise to stand on end.

As he barrels toward me with deadly intent, I concentrate on the darkness and sink into it, finding the wolf and the shadows that live inside Jacob and gathering them up as my own.

"You wanted freedom from your curse?" I shout, locking eyes with the monster as he nears. "Wish granted!"

I focus on the energy coursing through Jacob and yank everything that makes him paranormal right out of his body. As his magic flies free, it spreads like a net, taking the charm's spell with it.

Jacob's monstrous form dissolves in an instant, leaving only a confused man stumbling to his knees before me.

Stepping forward, I slam my fist into his jaw, and pain blazes up my arm.

My punch rocks Jacob's head to the side, but instead of knocking him out, it snaps him out of his shock.

He lifts a hand to his face and laughs. "You're still not strong enough to win this fight, even with whatever you did."

"No, but I am." Haut rises behind him and knocks Jacob over the head.

The younger man crashes to the ground, and his eyes roll back in his head before he passes out.

I cradle my throbbing hand to my chest, worried I broke it on Jacob's face. "Did we win?"

Haut steps over Jacob's body to draw me against his naked, bloody chest. "Yeah, we won."